What are the requirements for paid and unpaid leaves of absence?

At the District of Columbia, employers are required to provide certain types of leaves of absence for their employees, both paid and unpaid. Employers must provide their employees with 12 weeks of unpaid family and medical leave during a 12-month period for certain qualifying events, such as the birth or adoption of a child, the care of a family member with a serious health condition, or when the employee is unable to work due to their own serious health condition. Employers are also required to provide up to two weeks of unpaid parental leave for birth or adoption of a child. In addition, employers must provide their employees with up to 16 weeks of paid leave for certain medical or family reasons such as a serious health condition, the birth or adoption of a child, or because of a qualifying exigency arising from the call or order of a service member into active military duty. Employers in the District of Columbia should also be aware that paid and unpaid leave may be available to employees under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Family Friendly Leave Amendment Act of 2008, and the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Employers must also be aware of the District of Columbia’s Living Wage Act, which provides for certain types of unpaid leave for employees who have worked at least 1,000 hours in a 12-month period. This leave may be provided to eligible employees for reasons such as family illness, care of an elderly family member, or to address domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. Overall, employers in the District of Columbia have a number of obligations with regard to paid and unpaid leaves of absence. It is important for employers to be aware of these laws and understand how they can best provide leave for their employees.

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